The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick (Terra's Review)

Married to a king incompetent both on the throne and in bed, Emma does not love her husband. But she does love England. Even as her husband fails, Emma vows to protect her people-no matter what. For five decades, through love and loss, prosperity and exile, Emma fights for England, becoming the only woman to have been anointed, crowned, and reigning queen to two different kings, the mother of two more, and the great aunt of William the Conqueror.


(Terra's Thoughts)  Helen Hollick is a new author to me but I can guarantee you that she will not be that way for long.  This book is all meat and potatoes everyone.  It's not your fluff and puff mindless read that some of us need just to get through our hard existence.  This is a story that you will take your time enjoying and absorbing with a veracious appetite.


Emma is a young woman, merely more than a child, married off to the current King of England.  A man twenty years her senior should be able to make her feel comfortable and wanted especially with such a high ranking status.  Poor Emma doesn't realize though that even being an anointed Queen does not make you immune to abuse and ridicule.

King Athelred is nothing short of a sniveling idiot who has about as much in the brain department as you could fit into a pea.  What he doesn't have in intelligence though he makes up with in stupidity, cowardliness and bullying.  The only one that King Athelred loves is himself and at times you really have to wonder if he is even capable of that feat.

England is torn with strife, raids, rape, pillaging and the people are so getting tired of the incompetence that is being shown from their Lord and King.  Half of England is Danes and they are not only frowned upon but treated no better than the scruff of dirt attached to the bottom of your shoe.  You can almost smell in the air the lingering whispers of rebellion for the harsh mistreatment and over taxing that has plunged this proud and young country into throws of despair.

Queen Emma feels for her adopted country and will do anything and everything she can to try and help this nation heal.  Giving birth to heirs of two Kings, some offspring she cares nothing for while others she loves with all her heart and soul, Emma sets her sights on any and all of her offspring to try and make right in England that which has been wronged for such a long time. 

Helen Hollick has done a masterful job with this book and brought us a tale of long ago when life should have been so much simpler but in all reality is just as fraught with the harsh realities that plague many of us still to this day.  A story of love, hate, rolling turmoil and undying loyalty that any lover of historical fiction will crow with pleasure over for the intensity and integrity of such a wonderful period piece.


Paperback: 656 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (November 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402240686
ISBN-13: 978-1402240683

The Forever Queen Schedule
1-Nov

http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/

http://calicocritic.blogspot.com/

2-Nov

http://www.passagestothepast.com/

http://lifeinthethumb.blogspot.com/

3-Nov

http://www.luxuryreading.com/

4-Nov

http://yankeeromancereviewers.blogspot.com/

http://historicallyobsessed.blogspot.com/

5-Nov

http://booksbythewillowtree.blogspot.com/

http://www.historyandwomen.com/

8-Nov

http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com/

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9-Nov

http://debsbookbag.blogspot.com/

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10-Nov

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11-Nov

http://web.me.com/quirion/Bookaddict/Welcome.html

http://bibliophile23.wordpress.com/

12-Nov

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http://www.read-all-over.net

15-Nov

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16-Nov

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17-Nov

http://bookalicio.us/

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18-Nov

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19-Nov

http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/

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For all of you readers who really love Historical Fiction, take a few moments each day and check out the above blogs to see their owners take on The Forever Queen. It's always great to find what others think of such a wonderful work of art and you might even find a few giveaways in there also.